1. Field of the Invention
This invention in general relates to an air conditioning unit adapted to be mounted through the wall of an enclosure. More particularly, the present invention relates to a sleeve assembly designed to be mounted in the wall for receiving an air conditioning unit extending through the wall.
2. Prior Art
Air conditioning units which are commonly mounted through the wall are used for light commercial and residential applications such as hotels, dormitories, office buildings and apartment buildings and may additionally be used in other applications. The advantage of mounting the air conditioning unit through the wall is that floor space is saved. The mounting of a unit in a basement, a dedicated closet or other similar location occupying valuable floor space is not necessary. By saving floor space, the total space available for renting or for other use is increased. A typical installation might be in an entry closet to an apartment. By making this closet slightly larger the unit may be mounted therein without reducing the available closet space.
In addition, by mounting the unit through the wall it is possible to locate numerous units about an enclosure rather than a single large unit which requires a large amount of duct work to conduct the air to the various areas within an enclosure. In addition, the use of a plurality of units allows for better zone control and for potential improved overall energy efficiency.
When through the wall type units are used in apartment type buildings, it is possible to allow independent heating and cooling control of each unit and consequently energy usage may be metered to each arrangement depending upon the usage of that particular unit.
During the construction of a building utilizing through the wall type units it is necessary to provide openings for installation of the units during erection of the exterior walls. With the arrangement as described herein, a sleeve is inserted through the exterior envelope of the building and the walls are built up around the sleeve such that the sleeve defines an opening extending through the exterior of the building. Finished building interior and exterior walls are constructed around the sleeve.
With previous ducted through the wall units, it was necessary to mount the unit at the time of erection of the building. When the unit itself was placed in the wall it was found that subsequent damage would often occur to the unit during additional construction steps. Additionally, when the units themselves were placed within the wall the building was often not secure and theft problems could occur with the units disappearing during construction.
The present sleeve is designed such that the duct work and drainage systems, as well as the electrical system, may be connected to the sleeve during erection of the building. During this time the sleeve is left in the building defining the opening and no working parts of the air conditioning system are necessary. The duct work may be installed in the ceiling of the space with ducts extending to the appropriate rooms to be conditioned by the unit. Drain connections are made to the sleeve prior to the air conditioning unit even being shipped to the site. The sleeve may include a disposable shipping panel secured to the sleeve in place of the grille. The panel adds structural integrity to the sleeve during shipping and covers the opening after installation to secure the enclosure from weather conditions and discourages unwanted entry into the building during construction.
Also, an electrical power source may be connected to the sleeve. Typically, the cost of the sleeve is significantly less than the cost of the unit such that the builder has much less capital committed during construction by installation of the sleeve alone. Hence, the potential problems of theft and of unit damage are avoided since the building is assembled with only the sleeve in position. The builder then purchases the air conditioning unit for assembly into the sleeve only when the building has reached the stage of completion that it is desirable to do such. With the duct and drain connections already made, a simple electrical plug connected to the unit is connected to an electrical connection of the sleeve, the unit is inserted into the sleeve, a few bolts are utilized to secure the unit, the thermostat is connected and the air conditioning system is in place. Hence, the builder has not tied up his capital in air conditioning units prior to a need to actually install the units to provide conditioning to selected spaces. During construction the units are maintained at a distributor or dealer where they are not subject to damage during construction or to theft.
A further advantage of this type system is that by allowing the sleeve to be installed throughout the building during construction and the building to thereafter be occupied as portions are completed to a tenants individual needs, the builder need only purchase those units necessary to serve the areas occupied. In other words, if only a portion of the building is initially rented and the remainder is rented thereafter the builder need only buy the air conditioning units to service the portions rented. Hence, the builders capital outlay is more closely aligned with actual occupancy of the building and the cash flow of rental income.